Communication between humans and animals has been a dream since the beginning of time. This desire is a result of our gregarious and inquisitive disposition. Understanding animal communication may revolutionise pet training, wildlife protection, and the development of compassion for other species.

It’s true that people and domesticated animals can converse to a certain degree. However, much about wild animal communication is still unknown. Observation, experimentation, and innovation have been prompted by our desire to communicate with animals. However, the desire has not yet been satisfied. Could the long-awaited magic bullet be artificial intelligence (AI)?

Early Thoughts, Legends, and Stories

Humans have long observed Animal vocalisations and behaviour. For instance, early hunters used monkey chatter and bird calls to identify potential predators. However, the progress in social structure and the domestication of animals have ultimately enhanced the importance of communication between animals and humans.

The fascination for animal communication and the preponderance of religious cultures later gave rise to myths and anecdotes. In many cultures, you find myths such as, in Native American Mythology, coyotes communicate with the divine and humans and in Hindu mythology, Garuda, a bird, acts as a messenger of Lord Vishnu.

Revival of Interest in Understanding Animal Communication

The Renaissance reignited curiosity about understanding animal communication. Leonardo da Vinci meticulously sketched animal movements, while poets like Wordsworth found emotional resonance in bird songs. For example, in his creation “To the Cuckoo,” Wordsworth narrates Cuckoo’s song as something almost magical and deeply psychical.

By the late 18th century, this curiosity turned scientific. Gilbert White studied bird songs, and Darwin’s theories on the parallel evolution of human and animal emotions laid the groundwork for modern research.

The Birth of Zoosemiotics: The Scientific Study of Animal Communication

The scientific studies on animal behaviour and communication, called Zoosemiotics, began only in the early 20th century. In the initial stages, traditional observational methods were employed, but with new inventions and advancements, they were replaced by modern techniques.

Studies by Karl von Frisch based on simple observations revealed the now well-known ‘Waggle dance’ of honeybees. Honey bee foragers communicate food location to hive members by dancing in a straight line waggling their abdomen. The direction of the food source is indicated by the angle of their movement and distance by the duration of the dance.

Photo by Allec Gomes on Unsplash

Karl’s discovery earned him a Nobel prize in 1973, which further attracted others to the study of animal communication.

Study of Bird Songs for Understanding Animal Communication

Scientists have identified various patterns in bird songs and calls by visualising them through spectrographs. By analysing the spectrograms scientists have found chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs) learn song by imitating other birds. Researchers have also concluded that bird songs have regional dialects and species-specific variations. It has also been established that the purpose of bird song is territorial defence and communication.

Study of marine mammal vocalization

Earlier marine biologists, sailors and whalers did descriptive detailing of cetacean voices through auditory perception only. However, since the 1950s, hydrophones have been used to record cetacean sounds to analyse and recognise patterns to study these vocalisations.

Melba & David Caldwell discovered in 1965 that Bottlenose dolphins make individualised calls called signature whistles that they use for identity recognition.

Photo by Fabrizio Frigeni on Unsplash

Roger Payne, in 1971, discovered that Humpback whale songs consist of long, structured sequences composed of units that are but musical notes. These units combine to form phrases which combine to produce a theme. 

Limitations in Understanding Animal Communication Before AI

• One has to manually classify the sounds, a time taking affair.
• It isn’t easy to detect subtle patterns when datasets are huge.
• The bias of the researcher creeps in while interpreting sound structures and patterns.

Contribution of AI To the Understanding Animal Communication

In the mid-2010s, artificial intelligence emerged as a game-changer in the understanding animal communication. Since then, AI has dramatically transformed the human capability to monitor and decode the vocalisation of animals. It also helps in understanding gestures and other physical communication activities in relation to the environment and circumstances.

Simultaneously, the progress in digital technology has provided the required support in the collection of raw data required as input for AI algorithms. Portable miniature, lightweight digital recorders, video cameras and electronic noses can collect continuously around the clock bioacoustics-, biological motion- and pheromone- data. Thus, scientists can now collect huge amounts of data to feed the AI systems.

Non Profit Organisations in Forefront

Today, Non-Profit Organizations like Project CETI and the Earth Species Project (ESP) are engaged in developing AI algorithms to analyse animal calls. They are using large language models (LLMs) and machine learning (ML) to find patterns and sequences.

CETI is engaged in decoding sperm whales’ vocalisation, that is, the codas or the specific patterns of clicks (sound). A developed program is capable of identifying a small subset of individual whales by analysing fed codas.

ESP has developed in collaboration with volunteering scientists, various neural networks or AI models. One can single out the tune of a bird or dolphin from the natural cacophony of sounds. Another AI model emulates a variety of species. ESP is experimenting with how the Zebra Finches respond to an AI program-created call. They have also developed a foundational mode, the NatureLM-audio that can classify and detect, by analysing vocal inputs, thousands of species across diverse taxa, including birds, whales, frogs and many more.

Some Revelations by AI

AI has revealed sequences (or phrases) in dolphin codas and elephant rumbles. The order or repetition of such phrases changes the information carried or conveys specific information. This suggests that there is some semblance to syntax and grammar in animal vocalisation systems. 

AI acts as a “telescope” for exploring the language of animals with its ability to process massive amounts of data and detect patterns invisible to the human eye,

AI can analyse visual data and detect subtle facial expressions and gestures in primates that signal social interactions. It has uncovered the intricate alarm calls of prairie dogs, which can describe the size, shape, colour and speed of predators. It has revealed how humpback whale songs evolve over time, suggesting a form of cultural transmission among these majestic creatures.

What AI Can—and Can’t—Do

AI can identify trends, categorise sounds, and even forecast actions based on what animals “say.” It is capable of detecting emotional cues and identifying patterns in intricate communication systems. There’s a catch, though: without additional context, AI cannot accurately interpret animal sounds. 

It cannot completely grasp what it is like to see the world as they do, nor can it translate their calls directly. The profound, intuitive understanding that comes from observing animals in their natural habitats—where their stories really unfold—cannot be replaced by AI despite the fact that it is an incredible tool. These limitations serve as a gentle reminder that AI can neither totally grasp animal emotions nor translate their calls.

The Value of understanding Animal Communication

Understanding animal communication has important implications for conservation, science, and even our interaction with the natural world. It can assist in more than just satisfying our curiosity.

Protecting threatened species: Threat reduction and population tracking are made easier by keeping an eye on animal communication.

Enhancing the well-being of tamed animals: Better care and treatment of farm and pet animals can be achieved by having a better understanding of their needs and emotions.

Examining evolution: The earliest phases of human language and social behavior can be understood from animal communication.

Promoting cohabitation: Learning about animals can promote harmony and reduce conflicts between humans and wildlife.

Ethical Challenges in Deciphering Animal Communication

Although deciphering animal communication is a significant scientific advance, great knowledge carries great responsibility. Enhancing coexistence and conservation, not controlling or abusing animals, should be the aim.

One should respect Animal Autonomy. It is unethical to mimic animal communication like mating or distress calls for poaching purposes. Similarly, using data collected for tracking, using bioacoustics or IoT that help in monitoring animal behaviour, migration patterns, etc., should not be used for poaching purposes. 

Communication problems can upset hierarchies and lead to stress, confusion, or aggression in species with complex social structures, such as dolphins or elephants. For example, there is a risk of causing abnormal behaviours if AI is used to control dolphin communication for tourism.

So far, the studies are being carried out by non-profit organisations for conservation purposes. However, once considerable progress is made, the chances of private organisations monetising from the understanding of animal communication cannot be ruled out.

The Future of Animal Communication Studies

Our comprehension of the diverse range of life in the animal kingdom is evolving along with artificial intelligence. We are gradually piecing together the languages of animals, from the complex waggle dances of bees to the eerie songs of whales, and discovering a world that is both beautiful and complex.

Ancient myths and basic observations gave rise to a new era, one in which modern technology and our natural curiosity work together to help us understand the animals that inhabit this planet.

Maybe in the future, we will be able to not only comprehend the cries of the wild but also reciprocate, developing a closer bond with the animals that inhabit our world. In the meantime, artificial intelligence continues to be our most promising ally in this age-old endeavour to discover the mysteries of animal communication.